Courageous, ready and firm in the defense of the human rights of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, this is Joenia Wapichana, Federal Deputy of Roraima. Elected in 2018 to take a seat in the National Congress, she occupies an important space, being the first indigenous woman in the 190-year history of parliament that for 30 years was also without any indigenous representation.
It is not always easy to be different in the midst of 513 parliamentarians, mostly white men, with conservative ideologies, in addition to representing economic groups that hold the power of capital, even more so in these dark times in which we live with the advance of authoritarianism in our country. This is not the Brazil we want.
Joenia's voice in the National Congress is the voice of indigenous peoples. The congresswoman has been tireless, fighting and denouncing almost every day the authoritarian acts of Bolsonaro's government, as were governments of the past, whether from the right or the left.
Yesterday, May 21, the deputy was rapporteur of an important project, PL 1.142, which provides for urgent measures for indigenous communities, quilombolas and traditional communities in the fight against the new coronavirus.
Due to her ethical and moral stance, the deputy does not condone any articulation that puts the lives of her people at risk, her positions are always in favor of indigenous peoples, being her main banner of struggle and protagonism in the National Congress.
For these reasons, the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR), an indigenous organization representing 246 indigenous communities, 11 peoples and approximately 49 thousand indigenous people, reaffirms its support and recognizes the work that Federal Deputy Joenia Wapichana has been doing in the National Congress in this one year and five months of her term. We have witnessed the deputy's commitment to the defense of indigenous peoples and traditional populations and other segments of society that are also part of the forgotten population.
We understand that it is in this instance, the National Congress, that the toughest fight against our enemy takes place. It will not be an easy task, when you have a more conservative Chamber willing to annihilate the lives of indigenous peoples.
Finally, the current moment of indigenous peoples is one of sadness, with the advance of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) in our communities. In this moment of pain, we stand in solidarity with our relatives in Brazil who were victims of this virus. We are vigilant and attentive to denounce any type of violence and attacks that come against our rights and territories.
A united people will never be defeated!
Boa Vista/RR, May 22, 2020